Chasing Yesterday
by Alewar
Summary: Danny fails to save his family from Dark Dan. Every night he watches their last moments in the Nasty Burger explosion. Trying to escape his future as Dark Dan, Danny Fenton packs up and leaves Amity Park, opting instead to travel. Phantom has also left Amity Park. No one knows where he went or why. But one thing is certain, Phantom is no more.


**Disclaimer: I own neither Teen Titans, nor Danny Phantom.**

Chapter 1

. . .

 _He was running. Running down a dark road. Where was he going? Wasn't there... Somewhere... Somewhere he needed to be? Who was he? That's right, he was himself. Daniel "Danny" Fenton. And... He had a family? Where were they? Was that where he was going?_

 _There! A light! It was in the distance. What would he find if he made it? No! Come back! Wait! The light was further away than before. He couldn't reach it. Despair._

 _Fire. Smoke. Ash. The scent of burning flesh. Where was he now? That figure causing such destruction. Who was that? Was that him? No! It couldn't be. He was him and not anybody else. Then who?_

 _That light again. It was closer. A building... No, a restaurant. Nasty Burger? This was where he needed to be. Why?_

 _That figure again. Its unholy gaze now set on the fast food joint. What? In the window. There! His family. Mom, Dad, Jazz... His friends. Sam, Tucker. And... Mr. Lancer?_

 _No! Now he knew. He knew what he had to do. He picked up speed. He had to make it. The restaurant becoming even more distant. He reached out._

 _Nothing. He was falling. The noise was deafening. Where were they? Pain. A malicious grin. A forked tongue. A promise._

 _Gone. They were gone. He had been too late. His fault. Not fast enough. Not strong enough. Not good enough._

 _Darkness. Loneliness. Anger. Hate._

 _No! He made a promise!_

 _He was falling._

 _Why?_

 _A sudden breath._

. . .

Regulus woke suddenly and shot up out of bed. Taking a few calming breaths, he ran his hand through his sweaty hair. "That dream again... Regulus... I'm Regulus, now." Getting up, he made his way to the bathroom as the light from the moon guided him.

Looking in the mirror, he studied himself. Black hair. Blue eyes. Pale face... Too pale. Dark bruises marred the skin below his eyes, a testament to his sleeplessness. Regulus turned on the sink faucet and cupped his hands to catch the water. He cleansed the sweat from his face and tried to cleanse the thoughts from his mind. "That's not going to be me. I'm Regulus now. I'm Regulus, I-" The cool water helped to settle his nerves, if only a bit.

His eyes met his reflection in the mirror, "I gave my word..." He got much of his build from his mother, he noticed, but his eyes were a trait he definitely got from his father. He had to look away, it was just too much.

Instead of making his way back to his room, he decided on the small sitting room of the apartment. He wouldn't be getting back to sleep for awhile yet, he knew from experience. His eyes caught the digital clock on the way through, 4:30. _Definitely won't be getting anymore sleep tonight._

Memories began assaulting him in the quiet darkness of the house. It was after the Nasty Burger explosion that Vlad came to take him in. Of course, seeing the outcome of that path made his decision for him. He had promised them, he would not become that monster! But since the explosion, the potential was there.

Or... Perhaps the potential had always been there, just unrealized? Whatever. He would not let that future come to pass and Vlad had agreed to help him. A new identity, for both himself and his "sister", Danielle, was just the start. He helped put the newly dubbed Regulus and Titania Masters on their feet, and even came by to check-in every once-in-a-while.

Neither of the siblings had kept in touch with their past adversaries or allies. Danny had sworn off the use of his powers, except in the most dire of situations. And Dani, well she hadn't really tried to become a hero anyway.

The former Fenton siblings, now Masters, were the proud owners of a small book store and café in Jump City. Vlad had chosen the site for a couple of reasons. First, Jump City was different enough from Amity Park that Daniel might find the will to move on, and possibly, a new obsession. Second, the city had its own up-and-coming heroes, the Teen Titans, which would keep the need for Danny to use his own powers at a minimum.

Vlad had also been torn up over the death of Mum. He too now kept the use of his powers to strictly business. No longer did he plot to rule the mortal earth, nor did he devise hair-brained schemes to become viewed as a god. He was no longer their enemy. He was a broken man.

Entering the sitting room, Regulus switched on the morning news, before he made his way to the kitchen. He was up, he might as well do something useful.

 _...is Jim Thompson joining us today. Good morning Jim!_

 _Well it certainly is a good morning! I..._

Deciding to concentrate on the meals, he tuned out the television. It seemed it was still too early to get actual news, and he wasn't fond of the early morning talk shows.

By five o'clock he had his own breakfast ready. Titania's breakfast was finished by five thirty. At five forty-five, Titania stumbled into the kitchen for breakfast. Another day at the shop was soon to begin.

. . .

Nebula opened every morning at six-thirty sharp. The building itself had three levels. The ground floor was a dark-themed café. The floor above that was a bookstore with a wide selection, possibly the widest in town, and was known to stock both incredibly rare, second hand, and out of print books. The topmost floor, which was closed to customers, could only be reached by a hidden staircase and served as the living quarters of Nebula's owners, Regulus and Titania Masters. However, there was one floor kept completely secret from the rest of the world. The basement, a relic of the Prohibition Era, that had since been turned into a lab by the building's occupants. A vault storing ghost hunting equipment, Fenton blueprints, and other memories; as well as a training center and a ghost portal, shared the space.

Nebula was also known for the cats that found residence inside its doors. It had started with a small black kitten one rainy night, who the siblings had eventually nicknamed Nebula, and grown until almost twelve cats called the café home. At first the Masters siblings had worried about how the cats and their ghost dog, Cujo, would get along. But it seemed that the playful pup quickly won over his new housemates. All, except for one. An older cat, nicknamed Scarface, who had once been a fighter, and looked every bit the part with a jagged scar running down his one dead eye.

Scarface could tolerate Cujo's presence, but violently refuted the attention and cuddles the dog gave with a clawed swipe to the ghost pup's face. The first experience had left Cujo momentarily dumbstruck before shaking out of his shock to try once more. What was most surprising to the siblings, however, was the cat's ability to strike Cujo in the first place. It made Regulus wonder if there was any truth to the old superstition of cats being guardians of the afterlife.

The other resident cats were just as colorful. Nebula, the namesake of the café, was just a few years old. She was a black female cat with one fire red patch of hair just under her collar. The cat spent much of her time curled up near one of the siblings.

Big Momma, a blue and silver mottled Maine Coon mix, was Scarface's sassy honey. Fifteen pounds of woman and just about the only place he felt safe enough to snuggle into.

Karma, a male russet and red longhair mix, was a bit violent and had a penchant for pranking the other cats and customers alike. He was a loner until a male siamese, they named Naga, came along. Naga was very gentle but quick on his feet, and, at times, he could be just as mischievous as Karma.

Nymesis, a white female cat, and Nyx, a black female cat, were siblings born and abandoned behind the Nebula dumpster. Nyx was very calm, a cuddler, that would curl up with people reading in the shop or the café. Her sister was a bit more temperamental, but once you had gained her trust, was just as sweet.

Renato and Amara were russet tabby siblings. Renato, the male, had tufts of long fur that stuck out from his cheeks and ears. He was a climber and loved to find a good perch. His sister, on the other hand, preferred to find sunny patches to curl up in.

Horus and Ra were bronze egyptian mau brothers. The two were actually gifted to the Master's siblings by one of the other nearby tenants after their cat had a litter. The brothers were very energetic, easily seduced by ribbons, puff balls, and colorful toy mice.

The last cat, however, was a bit of a local mystery.

Luscus Rex, better known as Rex, was a white male cat the siblings speculated to be albino, with one bright red eye and one kohl colored one. Rex had shown up outside the shop one night, skittish but in need of shelter. He was a loner, never seeking out the company of another, cat or human, on his own. It was obvious he had been mistreated in the past, but he seemed very protective of his new home.

Soon bowls were filled and the espresso drips started. The dark, rich aroma of coffee began to fill the air. After doing one last minute check, Danny let out a breath and flipped the sign. Another busy day at Nebula was soon to begin.

. . .

Nebula was a cute little, up-and-coming cat-fé, or cat café, owned by local residents of Jump City. The siblings, twin children of famed millionaire Vlad Masters, had quickly become well-loved by their clientele. Now, most people might think the children of a millionaire would be bratty and self-centered with little-to-no work ethic, but the twins couldn't be more different than one might expect. And although their store hours claimed they didn't open until six-thirty, most regulars knew they started letting people in as early as six-twenty.

"Supermassive black hole! I've got a supermassive black hole!"

That's right, the supermassive black hole. Friend to college students, government workers, and businessmen alike. The drink consisted of six-to-twelve ounces double-strength coffee and at least half as much espresso. Almost as popular this time of day was the supernova. Three-quarters coffee, one-quarter espresso mixed with an eight or twelve ounce canned energy drink. After all, nothing says _good morning_ quite like a heart attack.

For those who were not in need of so much caffeine, there were, of course, the classics, and the tea selection was nothing to scoff at either. Just about any tea or coffee could be found at the café.

But today was not like other days.

The morning had started out normal. As usual, the doors had opened at six-twenty, the twins serving the morning rush that lasted until around nine. With children at school and employees at work, the foot traffic had thinned significantly. It wasn't often that they got such a peaceful day. If it hadn't been from the feeling in his gut, and previous experience with such matters, Danny might have been fooled into believing it would last.

Unfortunately, as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end.

. . .

 **AN: 27 January, 2018**

 **Hey guys! I thought I might leave a note about this now instead of later. The new school semester has just started and I have a heavy course load, so updates will not be as frequent. But do not worry! I intend to work hard and finish this story.**

 **Until next time,**

 **Alewar**


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